Spanish Conversation · Level 127
59 words
Spanish word
pretencioso
Pronunciation
IPA/pɾetenˈθjoso/
Meaning
- adjectivepretentious
Example
No seas pretencioso con tus amigos.
Don't be pretentious with your friends.
More examples
En las fotos salió un poco pretencioso.
In the photos he came across as a little pretentious.
Core concept
A person dressing and acting to impress others.
Common phrases
ser pretencioso
be pretentious
parecer pretencioso
come across as pretentious
con un aire pretencioso
with a pretentious demeanor
Similar words
presumido: Brags and presents oneself as more successful or special than reality.
vanidoso: Shows excessive pride in looks or skills and craves admiration.
arrogante: Behaves with haughty confidence, assuming superiority over others.
ostentoso: Displays wealth or style in a showy way to draw attention.
Definition in Spanish
Que intenta causar buena impresión en los demás mediante la apariencia, el comportamiento o las palabras.
Word origin
From Spanish pretensión 'claim or show' plus the suffix -oso, with pretensión from Latin praetendere (prae 'before' + tendere 'to stretch'), originally 'to put forward'.
Usage tips
- Calling someone pretencioso is a negative, often blunt judgment, so when speaking with friends people usually soften it with phrases like no presumas or no hace falta presumir.
Other meanings
- vainadjective
- showyadjective
Opposites
- humildehumbleadjective
Related words
- pretensiónpretentiousnessnoun
- pretenciosamentepretentiouslyadverb